Beautiful Cohen Speaks on Relegation Considers Retirement
Sales' Cohen desperate to avoid relegation as World Cup winner considers retirement
World Cup winner Ben Cohen is determined not to end his Sale career with the stigma of relegation.
But that desperate scenario is still a possibility for the 32-year-old winger, who is in his final months at the club.
Newcastle or Leeds - who meet on Saturday - are still favourites to go down but Cohen is not relaxing yet and remains in a dilemma.
In the balance: Ben Cohen (grounded) is yet to decide if he will retire
Cohen, who played in the defeat at his former side Northampton on Saturday, is still undecided about his future plans and whether to hang up his boots.
He said: 'I pride myself on being professional and will be until the end of the season.
'I also don't want to be part of a team that gets relegated. I want Sale to finish as high as possible in the table.
'As for myself, I have some options which I am assessing. I have got to make the right decision not just for me but my family. I might retire, I don't know yet.'
Cohen was part of the England side that won the World Cup in 2003 and believes they have the talent to do so again this year in New Zealand.
He feels they are growing under the stewardship of his former international team-mate Martin Johnson.
Cohen hopes they will learn the lessons of a humbling defeat by Ireland in Dublin in the Six Nations and be better prepared mentally.
He added: 'England have a very good chance of winning the World Cup. The have come on massively and made great gains, especially in the last eight months.
Champions: Cohen (left) was part of England's World Cup winning side in 2003
'Once Martin Johnson got consistency in his selection, it started to come together.
'It was disappointing they lost in Ireland the way they did, it was hostile environment and there was a huge amount of pressure on them.
'They have got to block out everything in the World Cup as there will be a lot of focus on England which will lead to a lot of pressure on them again.'
Cohen is visiting the United States next month to take part in a charity fund-raiser, hosted by the Atlanta Bucks rugby club.
He explained: 'It is to promote anti-bullying. We want to use rugby clubs to send an olive branch to people to join a rugby community, not necessarily just to play.
'The gay-friendly rugby clubs have really turned it around. They want to be more accepted in the community because they are perceived to be different, which they are not.
'There are a lot of straight rugby players playing in gay-friendly clubs. Rugby accepts all shapes and sizes, genders and colours and that is its beauty and why I love the game so much.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-1373206/Ben-Cohen-determined-leave-Sale-high.html#ixzz1Iaj4yqma
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